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We’re partnering up with our friends at Sandhill Crane Vineyards, Edible WOW magazine and James Beard award winning chef Alex Young of Zingerman’s Roadhouse for a very special Sunday afternoon dinner.

Alex Young founded Zingerman’s Roadhouse as chef and managing partner. Serving really good American food, Alex is a 5-time James Beard nominated Best Chef in the Great Lakes Region, winning the title in 2011. The same year Roadhouse Macaroni and Cheese was named the Best Comfort Food in America by Alton Brown’s Food Network show “Best of.” In 2009, the Roadhouse was given the honor of being named one of the “Top 10 New Barbecue Restaurants” by Bon Appetit magazine. Alex’s passion for local agriculture and farming steered him to founding and opening Cornman Farms, what is now a 42 acre farm in Dexter, MI, eight miles from the Roadhouse. Growing more then 70 varieties of vegetables and caring for over 150 animals, Alex has made the farm-to-table dining experience come to life in Southeast Michigan. Educating the staff, the patrons, the community and local students on the importance of farming and knowing where food comes from earned Alex the honor of being one of twelve top chefs from around the country named a James Beard food activist.

Sandhill Crane Vineyards’ charming winery, tasting room, and café is tucked in among their vineyards in eastern Jackson county. Using only fruit grown in Michigan, Sandhill Crane Vineyards produces award-winning wines and meads from their own grapes, apples, and pears, along with other local grapes and other fruits, honey, and maple syrup.

Winemaker and family member Holly Balansag, makes use of her winemaking and organizational skills along with an exceptional palate to produce a wide range of clean, rich, complex wines. Made lovingly in small batches, the tasting list includes well-balanced acidic white wines, rich reds, flavorful fruit wines, and delicious sweet-tart dessert wines. All wines are made on the premises. Many other family members operate the vineyards and café.

Sandhill Crane Vineyards cares deeply about the environment and their community. They are currently the only vineyard in SE Michigan to be verified under the Farm*A*Syst program for good environmental stewardship. The winery makes several wines that benefit local nonprofit organizations. Current “charity” wines are: Legacy, benefiting the local Legacy Land Conservancy; Abrazo, helping the local Cascades Humane Society; Blushing Crane, a wine that benefits the nearby Haehnle Bird Sanctuary, Blue Skies, a wine benefiting the Dahlem Conservancy, and two wines for the Junior League of Ann Arbor, Novo and Transformation.

This dinner will benefit FSEP – Food System Economic Partnership. FSEP was established in 2005 to identify economic development opportunities and implement creative solutions to chronic issues relevant to the food system in southeast Michigan. The strength of FSEP comes from the combined effort of farm organization leaders, food industry heads, community groups, food system and economic development experts, and resource providers.

$65 per person, includes starters, dinner, wine pairings, and donation to FSEP. Anyone attending the event will receive a special 20% discount on your wine purchase that day. The folks from Edible WOW will be on hand with lots of fabulous gift baskets that will be given away throughout the afternoon.